Sunday Sermons
Righteousness and Nations
Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived, and a very successful King who ruled a prosperous empire, noted, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Derek Kidner said of this verse, “Here is the most searching test of policies and achievements” (Proverbs p. 112). As one reads statements from some of our founding fathers, one finds remarkable agreement between them and the words of Solomon:
Patrick Henry
One thing that worried Henry was the influence of French immorality on America, he wrote, “And whilst I see the dangers that threaten ours from her intrigues and her arms, I am not so much alarmed as to the apprehension of her destroying the great pillars of all government and of social life; I mean virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone, that renders us invincible. These are the tactics we should study. If we lose these, we are conquered, fallen indeed” (Patrick Henry; Life, Correspondence and Speeches, ed. William Henry (2:591-592).
John Adams
“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion… Our constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” (The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, ed. Charles Adams, 9:229).
Benjamin Franklin
On April 17th, 1787 Franklin wrote a letter speaking positively of the calmness with which Americans were handling the upheaval caused by the Revolution, and he attributed this to America’s stable moral foundation. He said, “Your reflections on our situation compared with that of many nations of Europe, are very sensible and just. Let me add, that only a virtuous people care capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters” (The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, ed. Barbara Oberg. Online, URL: http://www.franklinpapers.org/franklin/).
Noah Webster
“He is not yet convinced that men are capable of such perfection on earth, as to regulate all their actions by moral rectitude, without the restraints of religion and law. He does not believe with the French atheist, that the universe is composed solely of matter and motion, without a Supreme Intelligence; nor that man is solely the creature of education. He believes that God, and not education, gives man his passions; and that the business of education is to restrain and direct the passions to the purpose of social happiness. He believes that man will always have passions — that these passions will frequently urge him into vices — that religion has an excellent effect in repressing vices, in softening the manner of men” (Noah Webster, “The Revolution in France”, in Political Sermons of the American Founding Era: 1730-1805, ed. Ellis Sandoz, Volume 2, cha. 44).
George Washington
“I am sure that never was a people who had more reason to acknowledge a Divine interposition in their affairs than those of the United States; and I should be pained to believe that they shave forgotten that Agency which was so often manifested during our revolution, or that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God who is alone able to protect them” (The Writings of George Washington, ed. Jared Sparks, 10:222-223).
Jeremiah Smith (Revolutionary Soldier and Federal Judge)
“Cherish and promote the interest of knowledge, virtue and religion. They are indispensible to the support of any free government… Let it never be forgotten that there can be no genuine freedom where there is no morality, and no solid morality where there is no religion”(Atherton, Charles “A Selection of Orations and Eulogies Pronounced in Different Parts of the United States In Commemoration of the Life, Virtue, and Preeminent Services of Gen. George Washington, p. 81).
Is Such True of All Nations?
The one question that often arises when a person reads “righteousness exalts a nation” is whether or not this truth applies to all nations, or only to the nation of Israel. Thankfully, the reader does not have to wait long for an answer. The remainder of Proverbs 14:34 reads, “But sin is a disgrace to any people”. There are many passages that assert that sin will bring any nation or culture to ruin:
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“The wicked will return to Sheol, even all the nations who forget God” (Psalm 9:17).
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“I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it” (Jeremiah 18:9).
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“It is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them… but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out before you” (Deuteronomy 9:5).
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“Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you” (Deuteronomy 8:20).
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“Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled. For the land has become defiled, therefore I have visited its punishment upon it” (Leviticus 18:24-25).
From these passages it is very clear that: (1) All nations are accountable to God and amendable to His laws. (2) No nation or culture can regulate sin, for sin can never be made into something that is safe, harmless, non-corrupting and non-defiling. (3) If being the people of God did not make the Israelites immune to God’s judgments if even they defiled themselves, then obviously the United States or any other modern nation is not immune from the defiling nature of evil. “So that the land may not spew you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been before you” (Leviticus 18:28).
Skeptical?
If a person questions the accuracy of such passages, they need only spend a little time observing history. “Where have all the cultures gone?” There have been many powerful cultures and peoples who existed long before us — where are those nations and cultures? Why do they no longer exist? “Archaeological evidence exists to substantiate the fact that highly advanced civilizations have preceded modern times, creating many enigmas for researchers. The Moche were a highly developed society that vanished centuries ago. The ancient Paracas performed medieval wonders in brain surgery using only crude metal instruments. The fabled Macchu Picchu achieved incredible engineering feats. The Nasca (or perhaps their predecessors) produced massive drawings that stretch for miles and are thus visible/discernible only from the air” (Reason and Revelation/October 2008/28 (10):76).
Principles
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God gives nations time to repent, yet if they choose not to repent, He fills up the cup of their wrath (Genesis 15:16).
Sometimes people have the question, “Yes, America is immoral in various areas, but the European or other nations are far worse, and yet we do not see them disappearing”. Remember, God gave the Amorites 400 years to change, and judgment did not fall on the Amalekites until centuries of patience were exhausted (1 Samuel 15:1ff). In addition, at times, the nation God viewed as being more knowledgeable is punished first. Often God punished Israel or Judah first, then He punished the surrounding nations.
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Before punishment arrives, things have been investigated: Genesis 18:20-21
God is not quick to punish and neither is He just waiting for a culture to slip up, rather He exercises tremendous patience with nations. The sin of Sodom and Gommorah had reached the point that they were just asking for it. Therefore, we should not be shocked that a nation might make some bold move into sin and yet nothing seems to happen. Often judgment does not immediately arrive, rather the consequences catch up when the day of reaping arrives.
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Repentance can turn things around: Jonah 3; 1 Kings 21:29
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When the indictment comes it will include a specific list of sins:
“For three transgressions of Damascus and for four… because they…” (Amos 1:3,6,9,13; 2:1, 6-8). How about us? Does America have a specific list of “Because they…” sins?
